Posted on 06/11/2021 11:51:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
At 563 carats, the Star of India is the world’s largest gem-quality blue star sapphire, and is approximately 2 billion years old. (Image credit: D. Finnin/Copyright AMNH)
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What does the legendary Star of India — a 563-carat star sapphire the size of a golf ball — have in common with a 35-million-year-old petrified redwood slab; a massive cluster of sword-like crystals that looks like it came from "Game of Thrones;" and a 5-ton (4.5-metric ton) stone pillar that can "sing?"
You can see all of them, along with 5,000 other amazing stones, in the newly renovated Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, which is reopening after a four-year closure on Saturday (June 12). There, one-of-a-kind precious gems appear alongside odd-looking rocks — some of which date to billions of years ago — that have been uniquely warped and twisted by extreme temperatures and pressures.
Individually and together, these objects tell a story of the diverse geologic processes that shape minerals on Earth's surface and deep inside our planet, beginning when the world was young and continuing to this day, museum representatives told Live Science.
Related: 13 mysterious and cursed gemstones
The Star of India, which formed about a billion years ago, was discovered in Sri Lanka in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known gems in the world, in part because it was famously and brazenly stolen from AMNH in 1964, along with several more of the museum's prized stones, by a pair of thieves named Jack "Murf the Surf" Murphy and Allan Kuhn, Smithsonian reported in 2014, on the heist's 50th anniversary. (The one-of-a-kind sapphire was recovered and went back on display in 1965).
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Yes, indeed. There is always That Middle Thing.
Happy Friday!
That’s a hoot! lol
That there is a monster...
“Cagey One!”
I gather that you are moving in to the new place tomorrow (Saturday)... best wishes for all of that... don't try to do too much at once!!
A good day to fry up some eggs and bacon!!
Jake was annoying on the pillow, among other issues. On the plus side, the wound in his hip looks better, and the vet agreed, after seeing the snaps, that we could put off doing anything until at least Monday.
I’m glad you have only one more night of having to stay up watching Tom Cruise movies. Soothing British murders for the win!
He kilt that mallard. Way to cat!
Taking a kitteh’s ducky away is not a good risk.
Thanks, but since it’s my stuff and my responsibility, the majority of the work is up to me. I had help loading and unloading, and will do so tomorrow but the packing was done by me and the unpacking will be done by me.
I’ve tried to simplify things by writing the contents of each box in a notebook as I packed, but even that was hard to do towards the end. It will make things easier to unpack, for sure.
Yes. That.
I just finished sorting my pills and packing a little bit of what’s in the VW Room, and next up is to get the clothes from the dryer and folding them, then pack the suitcase and a few more things. Then it should be almost time for my appointment.
I’ll go through my boxes to find the one (or two) with DVDs in of the Murderous Persuasion. I can pop one in while I’m taking a break from the unpacking.
I’m glad to hear Jake’s wound is looking better.
Truth!
I've been there!
At the end of a packing I end up with boxes marked: "Last Bathroom Box, check for needed items..." and "Misc. Stuff, check before longer-term storage!"
lol
I’m glad I haven’t had to move lately.
When I get to the “Misc. Desk” or “Misc. Kitchen” then the end is near and I know what I’ll find in each box.
Each box is also labeled with the room letter so they go to the right place to begin with, and I don’t have to schlep a bazillion boxes to find the number I need. “Br” is “Bedroom” and “Ba” is “Bathroom.” “L” and “K” are the others.
I just had to make it easy on myself, and this was the way.
I’m saving up these ideas for my someday move to the retirement apartment.
Gladys stepped down as New South Wales Premier at the beginning of the month facing serious corruption charges...her farewell presser had the usual scoundrels mantra, “I always acted with the utmost integrity, blah, blah, blah.” The smell of Chinese money is strong on this one.
Helicopter rides over the Wakka Wakka district should be on schedule...read that again and tell me it doesn’t sound like rotor blades beating the sky. LOL
The situation in NYC is muddled to say the least. The order to show proof of at least one dose of vaccination goes into effect as of Monday morning. I’m receiving very mixed messages about whether the order applies to consultants like me.
However, I do have from my boss that she expects me to be at work on Monday.
What, no study or observatory?
How do you expect to host any good murders without a study or an observatory?
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